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Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity leads research and consulting initiatives that identify and address barriers to economic well-being.
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The Patriot-News, February 10, 2015: $24.3M grant to benefit low-income children, families in Pennsylvania
"Programs to help low-income, at-risk families and children in Pennsylvania will get a financial boost over the next four years thanks to a $24.3 million grant from the federal government. The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning announced Tuesday that it received the grant. The federal grant will be paid to the state over the next four and a half years. The money will be used to increase the number of infants and toddlers receiving services from Early Head Start."
Savings program gives local students a head start on college
"FUEL an acronym for the organization's old name, Families United in Educational Leadership is a Boston-based college savings program that matches within a certain range the amount each family saves for a student's education. [] FUEL provides savings bonuses and other incentives that encourage families to save and stay involved. [] FUEL raises money for the matching funds by applying for grants from foundations and partnering with businesses. [] She said while the FUEL students are low-income and will be eligible for financial aid, families will likely still have other expenses, whether it's covering a portion of tuition or paying for books."
News LI, February 10, 2015: Report: New York Sits Back of the Bus in Reaching Low-Income Hungry Kids at Schools
"A new report shows 11 million low-income children from around the nation participate, on an average day, in free breakfast programs but when it comes to reaching hungry kids New York is at the 'back of the bus.' The report from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) shows New York coming in at 40th among states. Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, says there is plenty of room for the state to do better, especially since breakfast programs are paid for with federal funding."
Foundation aims to empower Vt. teachers, students
"There are a lot of pressures on schools. Innovate, generate better student outcomes and cut your budget and there are a couple of retirees who are trying to help and Rutland High School is benefiting. Rutland High School has 862 students, 79 teachers and counselors and a $10.2 million budget. And the principal says the school is able to meet new state education standards thanks to hard work and a big investment from the Rowland Foundation. So far, the foundation has funded 37 fellowships around the state, from creating a new approach to teaching low income students to launching farm-to-table programs before they became cool."
Pacific Life Foundation Announces $6 Million 2015 Giving Program
"In Omaha, Nebraska, $297,500 was granted to 20 local agencies. Grants will fund a wide range of programs including health and human services for homeless and low-income families, after-school enrichment and arts programming for disadvantaged youth, and senior support services."
Inforum, February 8, 2015: New preschool scholarship approach helps low-income students in Minn.
"As the Obama administration makes early-childhood education a top domestic priority and most states are expanding preschool for low-income kids, Minnesota is taking a unique approach. It is the first state to make a major investment in a market-based preschool subsidy. So-called 'early-learning scholarships' follow children, whether they enroll in a public school pre-kindergarten or federal Head Start, which the government pays for anyway, or a private center such as New Horizon or home day care that charges fees. The scholarships, essentially pre-kindergarten vouchers, are designed to steer the most at-risk kids into the highest-quality care and reduce the achievement gap at the outset."
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Education Week, February 6, 2015: Selective High Schools Meet on Recruiting More Low-Income Students
"The group was invited by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, which is hoping to attract more students to apply for its $40,000 a year scholarships through the event. The foundation also supports coverage of the experiences of low-income, high-achieving students in Education Week. The first-ever gathering of these administrators also was designed to inspire participation in a new coalition to advocate for disadvantaged students and recruit more of them into selective high schools, along with supports to stay on track."
Forbes, February 4, 2015: 4 Innovative Ways Colleges And Universities Are Fighting Poverty`
"While colleges have expanded their reach over the past generations, higher education systems continue to replicate existing wealth inequalities, equipping too few people to fully contribute in a knowledge economy. In order for our economy to become more inclusive and therefore thrive, colleges must reframe their core missions and become poverty-fighting institutions."
The Boston Globe, February 4, 2015: Finishing college a growing divide between rich, poor, study says
"There is a growing divide between those who earn a bachelor's degree by age 24 and those who don't, with the gap between the richest and poorest students doubling in the last four decades, according to a report released Tuesday."
Rutland Herald, February 4, 2015: GMP grant will fund Wonderfeet low-income programs
"The utility announced Tuesday that the lion's share of a $20,000 grant would help fund afterschool programs at the museum through the Boys & Girls Club of Rutland County, making it accessible to low-income families."
